Multiple relay having resetting member engaging only previously actuated elements



J1me 1966 R. BCHNlSCH ETAL 3,257,514

MULTIPLE RELAY HAVING RESETTING MEMBER ENGAGING ONLY PREVIOUSLY ACTUATED ELEMENTS Filed Sept. 20, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 PM: in I 2 Hum in F ig. 3a

MW 4* Kaye ATTORNEYS June 1966 R. BCHNISCH ETAL 3,257,514

MULTIPLE RELAY HAVING RESETTING MEMBER ENGAGING ONLY PREVIOUSLY ACTUATED ELEMENTS Filed Sept. 20, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fly. 20

Fig: 2b

INVENTORS Rudolf B'dhnisch Wilhelm F'drbera Walter Michel BY 4 Aa a ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,257,514 MULTIPLE RELAY HAVING RESETTING MEMBER ENGAGING ONLY PREVIOUSLY ACTUATED ELEMENTS Rudolf Btihnisch, Backnang, Wilhelm Farber, Grossaspach, and Walter Michel, Schwaikheim, Germany, assignors t Telefunken Patentverwertungs-G.m.b.H., Ulm/ Danube, Germany Filed Sept. 20, 1962, Ser. No. 225,038 Claims priority, application Germany, Sept. 29, 1961,

T 20,862 I l 9 Claims. (Cl. 17927.54)

The present invention relates to a switching device, particularly to a relay-type switch having a plurality of magnetic control circuits, which switch is especially usable in the field of telephony. Such a switch is shown in United States Patent No. 3,053,952, dated Sept. 11, 1962, and it is the object of the present invention to provide an improvement of that switch and other switches of similar construction.

In order to facilitate an understanding of the present invention, reference is made to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE is a sectional elevational view of a relay according to the prior art, as exemplified by United States Patent No. 3,053,952.

FIGURE 1b is a front view of the relay shown in FIGURE 1a.

FIGURES 2a, 2b, and 2c are side elevational views of a relay of the same type as that shown in FIGURES 1a and 1b but incorporating the improvement according to the present invention, the parts being shown in various operative positions.

FIGURES 3a and 3b are side elevational views showing another embodiment of an improvement according to the present invention, the parts again being shown in different operative positions.

Referring now to FIGURES 1a and 1b which illustrate the relay shown in Patent No. 3,053,952, the same show a yoke plate 1 and a core plate 2, each of which plates is common to all of the magnetic systems to be described. Both plates are made of magnetically conductive soft iron. The yoke plate 1 is constituted by a metal strip having an angle-shaped cross section and the core plate 2 is pectinate and has a plurality of teeth constituting, respectively, the cores for the individual magnet systems. A permanent magnet 3 is interposed between the plates 1 and 2, and an electromagnetic coil 5 is wound about each tooth. The relay further includes a plurality of switch activating members, each being made up of an armature 4 which cooperates with a respective tooth, each armature 4 being connected to a slide member 6 constituted by a card or plate which is formed with perforations arranged in a grid-like pattern, through which perforations pass the free ends of contact springs 7 of the various movable contacts. of the contact springs 7 in the same vertical row.

, Each horizontal line of movable contacts 7 cooperates with a common stationary contact 8 which may, for example, be in the form of a wire connected to and stretched between the side walls 9 of the relay. Each member 4, 6, is movable, in vertical direction, between a rest position and an actuated position. In the rest position, the armature 4 is in engagement with the yoke plate 1 and the core plate 2, and is held in this position,

against the action ofthe contact springs 7, by the mag netic holding flux produced by the permanent magnet 3. It will be seen that, in the rest position of the members 4, 6, the contact springs 7 will be held out of engagement wtih. their respective contacts 8 through the action of members 6. Y

Each member 6 engages all When the holding flux for any particular armature 4 is counteracted by counterexcitation produced by the corresponding coil 5, the spring force of the contacts 7 will cause such armature to be lifted from the yoke plate 1 and the core plate 2, so that the contacts 7 associated with this particular armature and slide member connected thereto are permitted to engage their respective contacts 8. The arrangement of the parts is such that, after the armature 4 has been released and the actuating member reaches its actuated position, the air gaps formed between the armature 4 and the plates 1 and 2 will be so great that the holding flux generated by the permanent magnet 3 will have virtually no effect on the armature, i.e., the

holding flux per se will be insufiicient to draw the armature back into engagement with the plates 1 and 2. Thus, the contacts 7 associated with the particular member 4, 6, will be held in their closed positions without it being necessary to provide any holding current.

The relay further includes an electromagnet resetting system for returning the various members 4, 6, to their restpositions. This system comprises an E-shaped core 10, an armature 11, and a resetting coil 12. As soon as the latter is energized, the armature 11 is attracted and pressed downwardly onto any previously actuated member 6 against the action of the corresponding springs 7. The armature 4 to which such member 6 is connected willthus once again be brought under the influence of rise to serious practical considerations because, in order to prevent these actuating members 6 which were. not moved out of their rest position, and which therefore do not have to be acted upon by the resetting member from interfering with the resetting movement of armature 11, the various components have to be manufactured with an exceptionally high degree of precision, so much so that it becomes expensive to manufacture a properly functioning relay.

It is this drawback which the present invention is intended to overcome, and this is done by so arranging the parts that the resetting member will make mechanical contact with only those of the actuating members 6 which were, by their respective electromagnetic means, previously moved from rest to actuated position. Consequently, the resetting member will not be able to enter into physical engagement with those actuating members which have previously not been moved to their respective actuated positions. member is concentrated on but those actuating members 6 which actually need to be reset.

FIGURES 2a, 2b and 2c, and FIGURES 3a and 3b show two embodiments of means operatively associated with each of the actuating members 6 for permitting the common resetting member '11, upon operation thereof, to make mechanical contact with only those of the members which have, by their respective electro-mech-anical means, been moved from rest to actuated positions, whereby the operation of the common resetting member 11 will not be impeded by those actuating members which were not prearmature 4, just after it has commenced its upward movement, in the direction of its length, from the rest posi- As a result, the action of the resetting tion. This upward movement occurs under the influence of the springs 7, aided, if desired, by an additional spring engaging the lower end of the member 6. According to this embodiment of the present invention, the member 6 is caused to move not only upwardly but also in a direction at right anglesto this upward movement. This is achieved by camming means constituted by a stationary abutment 21 which cooperates with a bevelled surface at the upper end of the member 6, thereby forcing this end to move leftwardly, as viewed in the drawing and shown in FIGURE 2b. Thus, all of the actuated members 6 will occupy the position depicted in FIGURE 2b, while the members 6 which have remained in their rest positions will occupy the position shown in thin outline, i.e., the members 6 in rest position will lie in one plane while the actuated members 6 will occupy another plane.

The armature 11, constituting the resetting member, is provided with an edge 22 which, as illustrated in FIG- URE 2b, will be able to engage only those actuating members 6 which will occupy the position shown in heavy lines, i.e., only those actuating members 6 which have been moved out of their rest position. Consequently, when the resetting member is operated, only those members 6 which need to be reset will be physically engaged by the resetting member, whereas the other members 6 will not. In order to maintain the lateral displacement of the members 6, caused by the above-described camming means, the members 6 have noses 23 which interengage with the edge 22 of the resetting member 11. Thus, while the members 6 are moved back down into their rest position, they will be maintained in the laterally displaced plane, and move away from the abutment 21. After the resetting operation has been completed and the coil 12 de-energized, thereby releasing the resetting member 11, the edge 22 will be pulled out of the way of the nos-es 23, thus freeing the just reset members 6. This will allow a pivot 24, acted upon by a spring 25, to swing the members 6 back into the original starting position whereupon these just reset members 6 will once again be in alignment with the members 6 which, during this cycle of operation, did not leave their rest positions. It will be noted that the spring 25 was placed under stress during the leftward movement of the actuated members 6.

In the embodiment of FIGURES 3a and 3b, the resetting member 11 is caused to engage only those members 6 which were moved into the actuated position due to the provision of mean-s for changing the physical dimensions of each actuating member with respect to the resetting member, this change, however, taking effect only as and when the particular member 6 is moved from its rest position to its actuated position. This is done by providing each member 6 with a spring element 32, acted upon by a camrning abutment as the respective member 6 is moved upwardly into its actuated position. The element 32 is thus forced from the position shown in FIGURE 3a into the position shown in FIGURE 3b wherein the element, together with its nose 33, is in the space between the actuating member 6 and the resetting member 11, thereby becoming in effect a prolongation of the actuated member 6, which prolongation is engaged by the resetting member 11, upon operation thereof, long before the resetting member can engage any actuating member 6 that has not been moved from its rest position to its actuated position. When the resetting member 11 is then brought down, it will mechanically engage the element 32 and push down the member'6, and after the resetting member 11 is released, it will leave the element 32 free to assume its original configuration, shown in FIGURE 3a, Where it is not interposed between the upper end of member 6 and the.

edge 22 of the resetting member 11, this being equivalent, of course, to a removal of the prolongation brought about while the member 6 was in its actuated position.

It will be understood that the above description of the present invention is susceptible to various modifications, changes, and adaptations, and the same are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalents of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a multiple magnetic relay, the combination which comprises: a plurality of switching means spring-biased into operative position; a plurality of armatures coacting with said switching means, respectively; permanent magnet means for holding said armatures in a rest position against the action of said spring-biased switching means; a plurality of electromagnet means coacting with said armatures, respectively, for counteracting the holding force of said permanent magnet means and thereby releasing any selected armature to allow the switching means with which the selected armature coacts to be moved into its operative position; a single electromagnetic resetting member mechanically independent of said electromagnet means, said resetting member being common to and coacting with all of said armatures for returning the same to their respective rest positions; and means operatively associated with each of said armatures which permit said common resetting member, upon operation thereof, to make mechanical contact with only those of said armature-s which have been moved, by their respective electromagnet means, from rest to actuated position, whereby the operation of said common resetting member will not be impeded by those armatures which were not previously moved out of their respective rest positions.

2. A multiple relay comprising, in combination:

(a) a plurality of switch actuating members each movable between actuated and rest positions;

(b) a plurality of electromagnetic means each coacting with a respective one of said actuating members for moving the same from its rest position to its actuated position;

(c) a single electromagnetic resetting member independent of said electromagnetic means, said resetting member being common to all of said actuating members for returning the same to their respective rest positions; and

((21) means operatively associated with each of said actuating members for causing said common resetting member, upon operation thereof, to make mechanical contact with only those of said actuating members which have been moved, by their respective electromagnetic means, from rest to actuated position, said means (d) comprising means for changing the physical dimensions of each actuating member with respect to said resetting member but only when the particular actuating member is moved from its rest position to its actuated position.

3. A multiple relay comprising, in combination:

(a) a plurality of switch actuating members each movable between actuated and rest positions;

(b) a plurality of electromagnetic means each coacting with a respective one of said actuating members for moving the same from its rest position to its actuated position;

(c) a single electromagnetic resetting member independent of said electromagnetic means, said resetting member being common to all of said actuating members for returning the same to their respec-tiv rest positions; and

(d) means operatively associated with each of said actuating members for causing said common resetting member, upon operation thereof, to make mechanical contact with only those of said actuating members which have been moved, by their respective electromagnetic means, from rest to actuated position, said means (d) comprising a plurality of elements each carried by a respective actuating member, and camming means for causing each element, upon movement of the actuating member by which it is carried from rest to actuated position, to move into the space between such actuating member and said resetting member, thereby becoming in effect a prolongation of the actuated actuating member which prolongation is engaged by said resetting member, upon operation thereof, before the resetting member can engage any actuating member that has not been moved from its rest position to its actuated position.

4. A multiple relay as defined in claim 3 wherein said elements are spring devices, and wherein said camming means move said elements into said space against the spring action of said elements, and upon return of said actuating members to their rest positions, the spring action of said elements causes the latter to resume their inoperative position.

5. A multiple relay comprising, in combination:

(a) a plurality of switch actuating members each movable between actuated and rest positions;

(b) a plurality of electromagnetic means each coacting with a respective one of said actuating members for moving the same from its rest position to its actuated position;

(c) a single electromagnetic resetting member independent of said electromagnetic means, said resetting member being common to all of said actuating members for returning the same to their respective rest positions; and

(d) means operatively associated with each of said actuating members for causing said common resetting member, upon operation thereof, to make mechanical contact with only those of said actuating members which have been moved, by their respective electromagnetic means, from rest to actuated position, said means (d) including camming means which cause the actuated actuating members to be moved in a direction which is different from the direction in which the actuating members are moved, by their respective electrocmagnetic means, from rest to actuated position.

6. A multiple relay as defined in claim 5 wherein said directions are at right angles to each other.

7. A multiple relay as defined in claim 6 wherein said means (d) comprise a spring device which is placed under stress when said actuating members are moved at right angles to the direction of the lengths and which, after resetting, causes the respective actuating members to be moved opposite to said last-mentioned direction.

8. A multiple relay comprising, in combination:

(a) a plurality of switch actuating members each mounted for movement between actuated and rest positions, the actuating members in rest position lying in one plane and the actuating members in actuated position occupying another plane;

(b) a plurality of electromagnetic means each coacting with a respective one of said actuating members for moving the same from its rest position to its actuated position; and

(c) a single electromagnetic resetting member independent of said electromagnetic means, said resetting member being common to all of said actuating members for returning the same to their respective rest positions, said resetting member being positioned so as to be able to engage only those actuating members which lie in said other plane, whereby said resetting member, upon operation thereof, will not be able to make contact with those actuating members which have not previously been moved to their respective actuated positions.

9. A multiple relay comprising, in combination:

(a) a plurality of elongated switch actuating members mounted for movement, in the direction of their lengths, between actuated and rest positions;

(b) a plurality of electromagnetic means each coacting with a respective one of said actuating members for moving the same from its rest position to its actuated position;

(c) means for moving each actuating member, when the same is being moved from its rest position to its actuated position, in a direction which is at right angles to the direction of its length; and

(d) a single electromagnetic resetting member independent of said electromagnetic means, said resetting member being common to all of said actuating members for returning the same to their respective rest positions, said resetting member being positioned so as to be able to engage only those actuating members which have been moved in said direction which is at right angles to the direction of their lengths, whereby said resetting member, upon operation thereof, will not be able to make physical contact with those actuating members which have not previously been moved to their respective actuated positions.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,472,503 10/1923 Taylor 179-2754 1,515,631 11/1924 Taylor 200104.3 2,107,158 2/1938 Lewis 179-27.54 X 2,306,355 12/ 1942 Gensburg 2001 2,554,108 5/1951 Knos 17927.54 3,053,952 9/ 1962 Kohler 200-102 ROBERT H ROSE, Primary Examiner.

BERNARD A. GILHEANY, Examiner.

L. A. WRIGHT, F. N. CARTEN, Assistant Examiners. 

1. IN A MULTIPLE MAGNETIC RELAY, THE COMBINATION WHICH COMPRISES: A PLURALITY OF SWITCHING MEANS SPRING-BIASED INTO OPERATIVE POSITION; A PLURALITY OF ARMATURES COACTING WITH SAID SWITCHING MEANS, RESPECTIVELY; PERMANENT MAGNET MEANS FOR HOLDING SAID ARMATURES IN A REST POSITION AGAINST THE ACTION OF SAID SPRING-BIASED SWITCHING MEANS; A PLURALITY OF ELECTROMAGNET MEANS COACTING WITH SAID ARMATURES, RESPECTIVELY, FOR COUNTERACTING THE HOLDING FORCE OF SAID PERMANENT MAGNET MEANS AND THEREBY RELEASING ANY SELECTED ARMATURE TO ALLOW THE SWITCHING MEANS WITH WHICH THE SELECTED ARMATURE COACTS TO BE MOVED INTO ITS OPERATIVE POSITION; A SINGLE ELECTROMAGNETIC RESETTING MEMBER MECHANICALLY INDEPENDENT OF SAID ELECTROMAGNET MEANS, SAID RESETTING MEMBER BEING COMMON TO AND COACTING WITH ALL OF SAID ARMATURES FOR RETURNING THE SAME TO THEIR RESPECTIVE REST POSITIONS; AND MEANS OPERATIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH EACH OF SAID ARMATURES WHICH PERMIT SAID COMMON RESETTING MEMBER, UPON OPERATION THEREOF, TO MAKE MECHANICAL CONTACT WITH ONLY THOSE OF SAID ARMATURES WHICH HAVE BEEN MOVED, BY THEIR RESPECTIVE ELECTROMAGNET MEANS, FROM REST TO ACTUATED POSITION, WHEREBY THE OPERATION OF SAID COMMON RESETTING MEMBER WILL NOT BE IMPEDED BY THOSE ARMATURES WHICH WERE NOT PREVIOUSLY MOVED OUT OF THEIR RESPECTIVE REST POSITIONS. 